


mission

by shadoedseptmbr



Series: L'essai Et Repose [9]
Category: Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: F/M, Gen, Virmire, the cold hard calculations of war
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-10
Updated: 2020-10-10
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:21:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 323
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26933518
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shadoedseptmbr/pseuds/shadoedseptmbr
Summary: the bomb was the mission
Series: L'essai Et Repose [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1937545
Kudos: 10





	mission

The bomb was the mission.

Shepard doesn’t have to justify it to herself, no matter what anyone will say.

The bomb was the mission and she made that decision with the cold, hard (broken) piece of herself that let her walk away from everyone she knew into a new life as Aedan Shepard. That had schemed her way through the Academy. That wouldn’t let her break in N training. That plugged a broken defense with a thirteen year old girl and a borrowed pistol at Elysium.

The bomb was the mission and there was no reason for Kaidan to think that she’d somehow ‘picked’ him over Ash. Ashley. 

Don’t call her ash, just yet.

The decision Shepard will second and third and fourth guess herself over while she cleans her gun alone at Ashley’s station came before that. Came when she decided to send Williams to liaise with Kirrahe, instead of the more textbook choice of Alenko. Give Ashley some more exposure to aliens like the Salarians, to professionals, and she’ll have a better opinion of them. It’ll help her grow as a Marine. Give Kaidan the chance to tinker with the setup of the bomb. He likes that sort of thing. Makes him smile.

That was the personal decision. No matter how easily she’ll stand up in front of the admiral’s inquiry (eyes clear and voice steady) and say, “Lt. Alenko’s ability with tech made him the best choice to wire and set the bomb, sirs. His biotics gave the best protection for that piece of the mission. Sgt. Williams was the best damn soldier I had and she was the right choice to back up the Salarians.

And what Shepard will never tell Kaidan is not “Of course I chose you to save, how could I not?” It’s “If I’d had you down with Kirrahe, like you should have been, I’d have saved Ashley.”

Because the bomb was the mission, sweetheart.


End file.
